The System Awakens: Rise of the Champion-Chapter 288: The Greek Underworld

After talking with his new wives for a couple of hours, Damian, along with Aphrodite, Nyx, and Gaia, who apparently had nothing better to do, headed toward the Underworld.

Demeter tagged along as well, as she wanted to speak with her daughter, Persephone.

The main branch of the Greek pantheon could be divided into three parts, or three dimensions to be precise.

The Divine Dimension, where the gods resided; the Mortal Dimension, home to humans and Atlantians alike; and the Underworld, which was essentially the hell of the Greek pantheon.

Damian had already purged all the so-called evil gods from the Greek pantheon.

However, there were still several gods residing in the Underworld whom he had yet to meet, not because they were evil, but because they were powerful and proud.

Such gods might take issue with him claiming dominion over the Greek pantheon, so Damian intended to have a little talk with them.

"Husband, will you also take my daughter as your wife?" Demeter asked, a small grin tugging at her lips.

"Do you want me to take Persephone as my wife?" Damian asked, gently rubbing her head.

"I hate that Hades bastard," Demeter said with a serious expression.

"My daughter deserves better. She deserves someone who actually cares about her, someone who will treat her properly."

"She is already my daughter since I married you," Damian replied calmly. "You know I won't allow her to be hurt in any way. I have heard she hates men because of her past experiences with Hades. If she wishes to become my wife, I will welcome her with love. If she doesn't, I will love her as my daughter. Either way, she is a good goddess, and I will treat her well."

As he spoke, Damian felt Demeter tighten her grip around his hand.

"Don't worry, husband," Demeter said in a determined tone. "I will make sure she becomes your wife."

Damian could only shake his head, unsure how to react.

"Hmm, are we going to pass through the rivers of the Underworld to reach it?" Nyx asked curiously. "I usually have Charon ferry me across the Styx or Acheron."

"There is no need for that," Damian replied. He snapped his fingers, and a gate leading directly to the Greek Underworld manifested before them.

"I can travel to any place in the universe with a snap of my fingers," Damian added. "And as my wives, you can do the same."

"Hehe, I forgot about that," Nyx chuckled cutely.

Damian smiled and gently patted the ancient goddess's head.

He was not sure if it was because of his having sex with them, but every time he consummated his marriage with them, the women who became his wives all seemed happier, more relaxed, and more at ease.

Nyx, for example, had once been intense to the point of being unapproachable.

She rarely smiled, always wore a serious expression, and preferred not to involve herself in the affairs of the Greek pantheon.

After consummating her marriage with Damian, she became almost the complete opposite.

The same was true for all his wives.

They looked genuinely happier, and honestly, it felt surreal.

But Damian loved it, loved knowing that he was making them happy, so he didn't dwell on that for long.

With smiles on their faces, they walked through the green gate and found themselves standing in a foreign land, an unfamiliar environment.

Appearing in the Underworld, the first thing one would notice is the cold.

It was silent, somewhat dark, and drenched in red hues, not the soul-freezing cold of Norse Helheim, but a chill laced with a supernatural quality, potent enough to make even beings with the highest resistance to cold feel their bodies shudder.

They stood upon a vast subterranean realm where the air was thick and heavy, pierced by icy currents.

The land itself was formed of black stone, spreading into ash-colored plains of varying elevations that stretched as far as the eye could see, all covered in pale, withered vegetation.

Countless dungeon-like structures dotted the landscape, some rising from the surface, others descending underground, along with cavernous formations carved naturally from stone.

There was no sun or moon.

The only source of light came from the thick clouds above, which bathed the realm in a muted red glow.

Crimson lightning streaked across them, illuminating the Underworld in brief, violent flashes.

Muted sounds drifted from all directions, whispers, distant echoes, the rustling of shades.

In the distance, they could see a massive, wide river flowing endlessly through the lands of the Underworld.

The river glowed with a vibrant essence, its surface overlapping with shades of red, black, brown, gray, and other dark colors, swirling together like a kaleidoscope.

Countless souls were trapped within its currents, some weeping, some screaming in agony, some moaning softly, others eerily silent, each displaying countless forms of suffering.

This was the River of the Underworld.

The Greek Underworld is said to have five rivers, but unlike what many assume, they are not separate bodies of water.

Instead, they exist as one singular river that encompasses all five.

These rivers define the geography and the laws of the Underworld.

They are:

The Styx, River of Oaths.

The Acheron, River of Sorrow.

The Cocytus, River of Lamentation.

The Phlegethon, River of Fire.

The Lethe, River of Forgetfulness. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The five rivers coexist within a single flow, but they do not behave like surface rivers bound to fixed paths.

They interweave, loop, appear, and disappear, overlapping without truly merging, carrying countless souls toward the deepest abyss of the Greek Underworld, Tartarus.

"It still looks the same," Damian muttered.

"You have been here before, husband?" Gaia asked.

"I never had a reason to come here personally," Damian replied.

"But I monitored the Greek Underworld from time to time through the System. It is one of the realms where a large quantity of souls end up, so I wanted to make sure everything was proceeding accordingly. Do not forget, I am the creator and the administrator of the System."

"Darling, you deal with Hades," Nyx suggested. "I will talk with our children."

"Alright. After your conversation, bring them to the Underworld Palace," Damian said, gently rubbing her pink lips before pulling her into a deep kiss, a hint of tongue involved. "I want to speak with them as well."

"I will be back, darling."

Nyx gave him a quick peck on the cheek before vanishing into the darkness.

Nyx had many children who were not born of her womb but were instead created from her essence and primordial energy.

Across the eons of her existence, Nyx brought forth countless beings, including spirits, mortals, and gods alike.

Yet those she truly called her children were the gods she created directly, beings who would grow to become some of the most powerful figures in the Greek pantheon.

She had fourteen children.

Moros, the god of Doom.

Thanatos, the god of Death, natural endings, and final rest.

Hypnos, the god of Sleep.

Morpheus, the god of Dreams.

Momus, the god of Blame, mockery, satire, and criticism.

Oizys, the goddess of Misery and Suffering.

Nemesis, the goddess of Retribution, divine justice, and the punishment of hubris.

Apate, the goddess of deceit, fraud, illusion, and trickery.

Philotes, the goddess of Affection and Bonding.

Geras, the god of Old Age and Decay.

Eris, the goddess of strife, discord, and conflict.

Then there were the Moirai Sisters, also known as the Three Fates.

Though they were not true goddesses, they were unique beings.

While they did not possess dominion over divine concepts, they could wield the power of the corresponding divine concepts, albeit with strict limitations.

They could be considered entities that stood close to godhood yet never fully achieved it.

Clotho, the Spinner

She could wield the pseudo-divine concept of Birth.

Lachesis, the Measurer

She could wield the pseudo-divine concept of Destiny.

Atropos, the Inflexible

She could wield the pseudo-divine concept of Death.

Damian had several ideas about how to improve the Three Sisters of Fate, who had been stuck in the same stagnant state for eons, perhaps even elevating them to true godhood and turning their pseudo-divine concepts into genuine divine authorities.

"We should be on our way then," Damian said, and together with the others, he flew toward the palace of the Underworld, where its king and queen resided.

"Tell me, my wife," Damian asked calmly, "how is the relationship between Hades and Persephone? Are they getting along, or are they still at each other's throats?"

Contrary to mythologies and popular stories, Hades did not kidnap Persephone out of infatuation with her beauty or a desire for a wife.

He abducted her because he needed a partner, someone capable of helping him control the Underworld.

The Underworld of the Greek pantheon was fundamentally different from the hells of other pantheons.

It possessed a will of its own, born from existence itself.

It would not accept just anyone as its ruler.

There were strict conditions that had to be met in order to claim the throne.

One such condition was absolute.

The Underworld required both a king and a queen simultaneously.

Hades had fulfilled the requirements to become its king, but he could not rule alone.

He needed a queen, one who also met the necessary conditions, including the possession of specific divine concepts.

Both the king and queen of the Underworld held distinct roles.

The king embodied law, authority, power, and dominance.

The queen embodied cycles, change, and continuity.

At the time, Hades met the conditions to be king, and Persephone was the only goddess who qualified to be queen.

Greedy for power and eager to stand as an equal to his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, Hades kidnapped Persephone and forced her into the role of queen.

They were not husband and wife.

They were merely fulfilling their imposed roles as king and queen, nothing more. In truth, the only thing that existed between them was hatred.

"No, husband," Demeter replied flatly. "My daughter still hates that prick of a god, and I would not be surprised if she has already killed him."

She shrugged, then an idea suddenly crossed her mind.

"Husband, you can kill Hades, right?"

"Hm, not everything can be solved by killing gods," Damian replied thoughtfully. "Although he could be considered an evil god, all he really did was his duty. He never killed without provocation, and unlike Zeus, he never let his degenerative desires and power take over. In some ways, he is almost a gentleman, if you look past the kidnapping."

Damian paused briefly before continuing.

"He is a smart god. The only truly unforgivable thing he did was kidnapping your daughter... We will see how things unfold."